Related Articles

"The serious problems with this debt recovery program are piling on even more pressure, and feeding more aggression from understandably frustrated customers.

"Thousands of jobs have been cut in the Department of Human Services and that's why service standards have dropped to unacceptable levels, including 36 million missed calls to DHS just last year alone.

"This is an agency in desperate need of proper resourcing, otherwise it's the general public who will continue to suffer."

Mr Tull said the debt recovery scheme needed to be urgently suspended, as Centrelink staff brace for even more work with new students expected to apply for benefits and as a result of recent changes to the pension.

The union is calling on the government to shift thousands of DHS casuals to permanent staff to deal with the deluge of work.

Linda Burney, Labor's human services spokeswoman, said a "perfect storm" was brewing at Centrelink and backed calls to suspend the system.

"Centrelink is at breaking point," Ms Burney said in Sydney on Tuesday.

"This is nothing but a money grab by this government."

Ms Burney said it was hypocritical of the government to allow Sussan Ley to retain her position when she is the subject of two investigations over taxpayer-funded travel, while wrongly accusing vulnerable Australians of owing money.

She has written to the Australian National Audit Office requesting an inquiry into the debacle, which she expects to be confirmed early next week.